Getting well-prepared for EQE 2023 - opportunities for candidates to test their system and exam platform under exam conditions

REMINDER: This Thursday, and again mid February, candidates have the opportunity to test their system and exam platform under exam conditions (Main exam as well as Pre-Exam). 

It is strongly recommended, if not indispensable, to use those opportunities, and to do the test with the full system (computer, camera, microphone, internet connection) and at the location that you intend to use for the EQE itself.

Only these tests allow you to check the system under exam conditions, so including the invigilation/ proctoring/ supervision functionality. In the past, some candidates experiences some problems only with this full setup, e.g., due to some actions such as using Alt-Tab being considered as attempts to cheat, so it is important to not miss out on these opportunities!

Candidates are referred to the email they received from the EQE Secretariat mid December, which provided (for Pre-Exam as well as main exam candidates):

Dear candidate,

Please be informed that the instructions to candidates for the conduct of the EQE 2023 are now available on the EQE website.

Please also note that you will be able to test your computer equipment and settings on the following dates:

19 January 2023 at 9:30 – 10:30 and 14:00 – 15:00 CET and

15 February 2023 at 9:30 – 10:30 and 14:00 – 15:00 CET.

It is recommended to take advantage of these technical tests under examination conditions. We strongly advise you not to wait until the last moment to test in case you encounter problems.

Further information will follow in January 2023.

If you have not yet activated your WISEflow account, please urgently do so or inform us in case of problems.

Best regards / Mit freundlichen Grüßen / Sincères salutations

European Qualifying Examination EQE

Annual meeting of EQE tutors and members of the EQE committees ("Tutor meeting") on EQE 2022 - Dates and registration

Today, the annual meeting of EQE tutors and members of the EQE committees ("Tutor meeting") on EQE 2022 has been announced op the epi website.

Tutors that prepared candidates for the Pre-Exam 2022 and main exam papers 2022 meet with members of the EQE committees and the Examination Board, online, on 8-9 November 2022, to discuss the exam papers. The meeting is organised by the Secretariat of the European Qualifying Examination (EQE) in cooperation with epi.

For full details and registration for the meeting, as well as for Wiseflow access for EQE 2023 preparation, see the News message on the epi Website here and the survey here. It is indicated that, "In November, the Wiseflow system will be operational again, and, if you are interested in receiving access to the Wiseflow system to see the examination papers (past papers & epi Mock papers) as the candidates would see them to support your candidates towards EQE 2023 better, please check the appropriate box [in] Q8 in the survey [below]. The access link to the Wiseflow system will be sent by separate email in November."

Registration is open until 1 November 2022.

NB: For the tutor's report on the EQE 2021 papers and meeting, refer to epi Information 4/2021. A similar report will be published for the EQE 2022 papers and meeting in epi Information 4/2022.

EQE 2023 exam schedule now available

The "Information on the schedule for the EQE 2023 examination papers" is now available on the EQE website. 

The various schedules are addressed in our blogs for the schedules respective papers:

• Pre-Exam 2023
• Paper A 2023
• Paper B 2023
• Paper C 2023
• Paper D 2023

Dates for EQE 2024

The dates for EQE 2024 have been published on the EPO website (link).

It shows Pre-Exam, A, B, C and D, so it seems to be an EQE of the current format. 

The time schedule again shows at least one day in between successive main exam paper. It seems likely that the exam will again use WiseFlow and -for the main exam- the FlowLock editor/browser.

Comment: If discussions about the New EQE, following the consultation that closed 31 Aug, converge quickly, I can imagine that there may be exams for the New EQE Fundamentals in Q.3 or Q.4 2024, or that they will replace the Pre-Exam as of March 2025. However, no time of introduction of the New EQE, nor any transitional provisions, have been published to date (26 Sep 2022).

NB: The dates for EQE 2023 can be found here.

D 45/21 - EQE appeal on complaints that were not decided upon

In this appeal, a candidate contests the marking of Papers B, C and D of the e-EQE 2021. The candidate submitted in the grounds of appeal that there had been severe technical problems with the examination software during the examination of Papers B, C and D of the e-EQE 2021. The problems had reduced the time available for answering the papers and caused the appellant extreme stress and considerable psychological disadvantages. This had led to serious disadvantages compared to other candidates who had not experienced these problems. He further submitted that he "filed a complaint on the same day of the examination of Paper D, stating all the problems [he] experienced and the actions [he] took to report and receive help from the invigilators to solve the problems" and similarly for paper C. However, he had not received any answer to these two complaints. The Board considered that "The Examination Board was therefore obliged under Rule 19(4) IPREE to take a written and reasoned decision on the appellant's complaint regarding the alleged disturbances during the examination of Papers D and C, considering all the available evidence. However, no such reasoned decision was taken at any time". The Board remitted to the Examination Board for a new decision to be taken regarding Papers C and D, to let the Examination Board decide whether the complaint is unfounded or well founded, with -respectively- reasons or an appropriate compensation.

W.r.t. the lack of a complaint w.r.t. paper B, the Board indicates that "raising complaints about alleged disturbances during the examination only by way of an appeal before the Disciplinary Board of Appeal, i.e. without any prior decision of the Examination Board under Rule 19(4) IPREE, is not acceptablee" as it would deprive the Examination Board of the opportunity to determine the exact circumstances involved and to react accordingly, if necessary with a decision pursuant to Rule 19(4) IPREE, or to deal with the allegations in its decision on the result of the examination under Article 6(5) REE. "It is contradictory to exclude the assessment of late-filed facts by the Examination Board under Rule 19(3) IPREE but allow the submission and the legal evaluation of these facts in appeal proceedings."

EPO announced the first EPAC exam for paralegals, patent administrators and formalities officers on 12 December 2022

Yesterday, it was announced that the EPO introduces a new certification scheme for patent administrators: EPAC.

DeltaPatents will offer a course in Q3-Q4 2022 covering the EPAC syllabus for candidates that plan to sit EPAC 2022 (exam on 12 December 2022). Our detailed course offering will be provided on our website in the course of July. Please monitor our website for our detailed announcement and enrollment to the course.

Please refer to our blog on the EPAC announcement in our Patent Procedure blog for more details.

NB: it is not possible to post comments to this brief blog post in the EQE section. Please post any comments to our blog on the EPAC announcement.

EQE 2022 results available (main exam)

Today, candidates have received the results letters for EQE 2022. 

We congratulate all candidates that passed one or more papers, as well as those that got compensable fails and have the possibility for sufficient compensation.

Please feel invited to post your comments to this blog, preferably using your name or a nickname to facilitate communication.

The Examiner's Reports are also available in the Compendium.

If you want to address specific elements of specific papers, posting comments to the dedicated blogs is suggested; these are available via these links: A 2022, B 2022, C 2022, D1 2022, D2 2022.

Update 7/7/2022:

The statistics have been published!

Pre-Exam 2022: 680 candidates, 96,76% pass, 3,24% fail   - note: Part 3, 25 mark, was neutralized

Paper A 2022: 886 candidates, 59,82 % pass, 13.09 % compensable fail, 27,09 % fail

Paper B 2022: 1158 candidates, 77,55 % pass, 6,74 %  compensable fail,  15,72 % fail

Paper C 2022: 1400 candidates, 49,14 % pass, 12,07 % compensable fail, 38,79 % fail

Paper D 2022: 704 candidates, 62,64 % pass, 8,52 % compensable fail, 28,84% fail - see below